Leotha Slagowski

Our beloved mother, Leotha Wade Slagowski, returned home to our Heavenly Father on July 30, 2012. She was born July 22, 1923 in Glenwood, Texas to Paul Wade and Susie Esther Amonette Wade. Mom was raised in the Kelsey Texas Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She graduated from the LDS Church School there, then moved with her family to Arizona and later to Utah. She completed her formal education at Weber College and the University of Utah. She married Neil Slagowski August 1, 1951 in the Salt Lake temple. She is survived by her children and their spouses: Randy (Vickie), Steve (Olive), Leanne Schow (Paul), Mark (Jana), Alan (Vanya), Brian (Nancy), Darrell (Darla), twenty-six grandchildren and thirty-seven great grandchildren, brothers and sisters: Alfred (Donna), Gene (Joy), Rowan (Verdena), Louis (Sharon), LaRee Mitchell (Robert) and Eva Nell Arbon. She was preceded in death by her husband, Neil, parents, two sisters and their husbands, Regina and Scott Hooton, Pauline and Plas Brooks, brother-in-law Alden Arbon and a precious grandson, Matthew.
Mom was a devoted member of the Church. She served gladly wherever called, including in presidencies of the Relief Society, Young Women and Primary. She especially loved teaching the gospel. She taught Gospel Doctrine many times and shared her keen insight and powerful testimony of the Savior in many callings. She served as a missionary six times. Her first was as a stake missionary in Arizona, then as a full-time missionary in the Mexican Mission (1948-1950). After raising her children, she served a Family History Mission (1979-1981), then served alongside Dad in the Austria Vienna Mission (1986-1988). Their particular assignment was to reopen the work in Poland while it was still behind the Iron Curtain. From 1997-2000, Mom and Dad served an inner city mission in Salt Lake City and then served in the Texas Houston East Mission in Jennings, Louisiana in 2001-2002. Mom also served in the Bountiful Temple for three years.
Mom’s hobby was writing. She wrote countless special programs for sacrament meetings, roadshows, pageants as well as a book of poetry and a book for her children. She also wrote music, including some beautiful hymns and with her sister, LaRee, set to music their favorite scripture: “After the Many Testimonies.” One of her Christmas poems, “Tonight He is Yours” was also set to music and released commercially. In the world of work, Mom worked for the Church, serving as secretary to Elder Joseph Fielding Smith. She later worked in banking for many years and finally retired from the State of Utah Department of Health.
But what and who she really was, is just our Mom. She was in her glory when surrounded by her big, happy and chaotic family at home or at the cabin we all built together. It was hard for her to face this temporary separation from us, but excited to be reunited with Dad. She took great comfort in knowing that families are forever. She was a generous, loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, and we will always cherish her sweet memory. Bye-bye, Mom, ’til we meet again.
The family thanks Doctors Raymond Ward and Bryan Bartholomew and the many other people who loved and helped us care for our mother, especially her dear friends in the Brookhurst and Lakeview Wards.
Funeral Services will be held in the Lakeview Ward, 1450 North Main Street, Centerville, Utah on Saturday August 4, 2012 at 11:00 AM. Visitors will be received at Russon Brothers Mortuary, 295 North Main, Bountiful, Utah from 6:00 to 8:00 PM on Friday, August 3 and immediately prior to funeral service at the Lakeview Ward from 9:30 to 10:30 AM. Interment, Lakeview Cemetery, Bountiful, Utah. Online guest book at www.russonmortuary.com.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to your ward Missionary Fund, or simply hug your kids.